Thailand's Supreme Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Thaksin Shinawatra

Tue Sep 23 2025 12:22:02 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is mandated to serve a one-year prison sentence following a ruling by Thailand's Supreme Court. His recent return from self-exile and subsequent hospital stay raises concerns about potential preferential treatment.

In a decision by Thailand's Supreme Court, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is ordered to fulfill a one-year prison term related to previous convictions. After returning to Thailand from more than a decade in self-imposed exile, he was placed in a hospital due to reported health issues shortly after spending less than 24 hours in prison. This ruling follows a royal decree that commuted his original eight-year sentence for corruption-related charges. The circumstances of his return and treatment have sparked discussions regarding allegations of preferential treatment.

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Supreme Court has ruled that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra must serve a one-year prison sentence due to his previous criminal convictions. The court's decision came as officials examined the circumstances of his return to Thailand in 2023, which followed over a decade spent in self-imposed exile. Thaksin returned to Thailand, only to be moved to a suite at Bangkok’s Police General Hospital shortly after, reportedly for medical reasons, having spent less than a day in actual prison.

Originally facing an eight-year sentence for three separate cases involving graft and abuse of power, Thaksin’s sentence was reduced to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, leading to his release on parole after just six months in the hospital. This rapid sequence of events has led to public speculation about possible special treatment, with some doubting the severity of his reported health issues.